Presidents Day: Crafting Civic Pride in the Classroom

Explore five creative projects that help students understand the significance of Presidents Day in a way that can help foster a deeper appreciation for American history and civic responsibility.

Creating experiences to highlight and promote the beauty of growing up in a democracy is a strong first step in helping young people understand the importance of things like civility, community support and voting. These crafts will promote discussion and encourage thinking about these topics that will help young scholars begin to understand the role they play in the bigger picture. 

1. American Facts Flag

An introduction to learning about Presidents Day can help students learn how America became a country—specifically one that adheres to the principles of democracy. This will allow students to discover that the reason why we have a president at all is because in a democracy, our officials are voted into office. You can tell the story of how the first flag was designed and created, share the symbolism of the flag and have students write down the facts they are learning. To make these fact flags, grab your  MARK 5 Die-Cutting Machine to cut out the flags from the Flag-USA Die Cut. Cut out the Flag-USA from cardstock or construction paper. Cut seven red strips (four small and three large) and six white strips (three small and three large), and one blue rectangle for each student. Next, have the scholars assemble their flags by layering the paper on the cardstock flag, using the perforations as a guide. Then, use the end of a paintbrush and white paint to make 50 white dots on the blue rectangle to represent stars. Lastly, glue a wood stick to the bottom middle of the flag to create a fan. Once the flags are assembled, have them write their facts on the strips of the front or on the back of the flag. 

2. Declaration of Independence 

To extend the students' learning about democracy and how we vote for our Presidents as leaders, you can explore the Declaration of Independence. Before sitting students down to do the learning you will need to prepare these fact booklets for students to use while they listen and learn about this essential historical document.  Start by using your MARK 5 Die-Cutting Machine to cut out the Scroll Die Cut for each of your scholars. First, you will need to cut two red scrolls for front and back covers. Then with a marker, add detail and the title to one scroll. After that you can embellish them by adding shading to the scroll edges with black chalk and a cotton swab. Then you will need to cut lined paper pages and punch two holes just below the top edge of the covers and pages. Lastly, tie each of the books together with black yarn or cord. Then it is time to do the learning. Sit students down and share the significance of this document—sharing facts, teaching about important people who contributed to it, as well as the lasting impact it has had on our country.

3. Presidential Booklets

Learning about important and influential presidents from the past is a great way to show how many things in the world have changed, but the role itself has remained consistent in many ways. Students can compare and contrast the lives, impacts and outcomes of the presidencies of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson and Abraham Lincoln by learning and writing about these presidents in these booklets. Using this as a comparing and contrasting activity should create a lot of discussion. You can extend it by then thinking about how more modern presidents and their lives look compared to those who led the country so long ago. Make these booklets using your MARK 5 Die-Cutting Machine and the Book Set-Presidents Die Cuts. You will need to cut out enough of each president to have one of each for your scholars. Use cardstock for the front and back of each to start with. Then use the die cut to cut out lined writing paper. Place several pages of the lined paper inside the cardstock and staple or glue the pages together to create the final product. If you use white cardstock then students can also design and decorate the front of each of their books. 

4. Presidential Facts Magic Books

This magic book is an engaging way for students to list a few facts about some of our presidents. As you spend time together learning about the different presidents in American history, students can add facts that they learn to help them remember what makes each president unique and important in the making of our nation. Make these magic books by using your MARK 5 Die-Cutting Machine and the Magic Book Die Cut and the Stars #1 Die Cut set. You will start by cutting one Magic Book holder and 2 insert strips for each student. Then have your students write one president's name in each rectangle, then open the magic book and write brief facts in the corresponding "hidden" square. Lastly, decorate the edge strips of the magic book with patriotic mini-shapes if desired. You could take this activity a step further for older students by having your scholars select and research the presidents of their choice. Then once students have written all of their facts they can walk around and discuss their facts with their peers so they can learn from one another. This will build their independence as well as encourage students to discover which president they enjoyed learning about the most. 

5. Presidential Bulletin Board

This display will both get students invested in learning about presidents and our history as well as share the learning happening in your classroom with the rest of the school. Create teams with your students and then the teams can pick a U.S. President, then write a news story about an event from that President's term in office and display their learning on a bulletin board. To make this board display grab out your MARK 5 Die-Cutting Machine to cut out the Washington Die Cut, the Jefferson Die Cut, the Lincoln #2 Die Cut, as well as the Border-Stars #2 Die Cut and an alphabet set of your choosing. Begin by attaching blue paper to the bulletin board for background. Then cut enough star borders from white paper to make a border around the entire bulletin board. Next, cut letters for the title from red paper. After that outline with black marker and attach title to bulletin board as desired. Then you will need to use a paper trimmer to cut 4" wide strips of lined paper. Then the teams of students will write a news article for the President that they chose. You will cut the President's heads from black construction paper so you can glue it to white paper and trim to the right size. Once students have completed their writing you can gather and attach these articles onto the red construction paper background pages. Once everything is assembled you can add all of the elements onto the display board so that everyone can see and learn from your classroom's hard work.

These activities are simple ways to approach, discuss and celebrate the significance of Presidents Day. Creating a space for students to learn about our history and then creating conversation around their hopes and dreams for the future of our nation is a great way to spend intentional time around this special holiday. 

Written by Amy Pinegar.